Risen (Haunted Series Book 22)

them in the Zodiac seconds after it hit the water.  The Azure then headed back out to sea and anchored just off the reef.  As soon as the yacht crossed the reef, Mia could no longer hear Ted’s updates on the location of the Coast Guard cutter.  Mia had to assume that they set sail the moment the Azure did.  Standard operating procedures would have them keeping a discrete distance from the yacht to avoid being accused of harassment.  Because of the differences in the ships, the Ross Bell needed take to deeper seas for the trip, but they would still be just minutes away from the yacht.
Bob took in the clouding sky and the condition of the waves before he cautioned Patrick, “Thirty minutes, no more.”
Patrick was going to argue that it didn’t give them enough time, but he knew the speed at which Stephen Murphy could travel. He was sure that they could recover Kevin and Fergus in time.
Bob handed Mia out of the skiff.  He was surprised by the strength of the woman as she firmly clutched his hand.  If he had been a betting man, he would have sworn this was a different person than the frail thing that boarded the yacht in Martinique.
Mia adjusted her pant leg when it caught the top of her boot.  She had worn the hastily made rubber-soled slipper socks over the boots to protect the yacht from the retracted claws of the battle boots.  As soon as she was safely on the rocks, she drew the covers off and stuck them into the large pack she brought with her.  The boots made climbing the cliffside less of a harrowing affair.
The pack Mia carried was heavy, but every item was essential to their survival if her intel from Guillaume was still true.  She worried that the size of the pack would alert the crew that something was up.  She doubted the fair Sabine would be toting around thirty-five pounds of equipment on her back.  But the alternative was being on this evil island unprepared.
Mia had felt the evil reach out and tap on her mind-house door, but she was ready for it.  She had planted a false pocket full of thoughts she had taken from the yacht steward before they had left.  Mia couldn’t control what the Callen men were revealing, but she could protect herself.
“It’s trying to read my thoughts,” she announced as the Zodiac pulled away to keep a safe distance from the rocks.
“We better hurry.  I did as you instructed,” Mason said.  “I kept thinking about something else.  I selected treasure and your nice round…”
“Mason!” Patrick scolded.  “Come on, this way.”
Mia looked at Murphy and said, “Find them quickly.  If they’re gone, return to me.  We will regroup and deal with the situation as soon as the military leave the area.”
Murphy tipped his hat and disappeared.
Mia followed the men up the side of the cliff, heading for the cave.  From this height, Mia could see the anchored yacht.  She didn’t see the cutter.  Had the Azure lost them or had the cutter decided to dock on the other side of the island?
Ted split his screen to keep a constant watch on the storm and the activities of the Coast Guard, more importantly the federal team aboard.
Burt came in and sat beside him.  “What can I do to help?”
“Keep an eye on the satellite screen.  The pictures are refreshed every two minutes, but a lot can happen in two minutes.  I’m working on getting the satellite to show us infrared when the cloud cover becomes too dense.”
“I take it, you no longer can hear the shore team?”
“Lost them as soon as we crossed the outer reef.”
“Are you worried?” Burt asked.
“Not as long as my girl can spread those wings.  But in close quarters she no longer has the edge.”
“Murphy’s with her.  He’ll have her back.”
“There’s that.  Adding Stephen Murphy into any equation does amplify the odds of a successful mission.  Except when he energizes a demon with a energon cube.”
“That was a mistake which I doubt he’ll repeat,” Burt said.
“We got lucky.  If it weren’t for the quick thinking of Ethan Aldridge, I worry what the outcome would have been,” Ted said honestly.
“Mia’s a fighter,” Burt reminded him.
“She gets tunnel vision.  Sometimes, it’s all about the fight.  She really needs a partner to remind her that, occasionally, you need to retreat.”
“That’s why you’re so important.  I used to think that the two of you together would lessen her drive for the exploration of the paranormal, but I don’t have to tell you that you make her brave.  You feed her knowledge and encouragement that she trusts without question.  I hate and admire you for this.”
“That’s painfully honest,” Ted said, keeping his eyes on the screen.
“It is what it is,” Burt said.
“Seems like the two of you have mended fences.”
“I think we understand each other more.  I no longer see her as a device, and she…  I don’t really know how she sees me.  I just hope to God, I’m not lumped in with Angelo.”
“Angelo is someone I can’t get a bead on,” Ted admitted.  “He’s there to save her, but to what end?  At least Murphy is honest.  He loves my wife.  I’m very aware that, when I go, he’ll be there for Mia.  It should give me comfort.  Although, Mia thinks that, even with the superhuman gene, she won’t outlive any of us.  She knows that there are only so many times she can cheat death.  And I don’t know what her intention is after she dies.  I can see her sticking around, watching out for us, but you and I know that the light has been seeking her since she first started crossing people over.”
“Here’s a question for you: if Mia dies and heads